Happy Always
by Isobel Hatchett
Summary: After the battle of Hogwarts, Harry returns to Hogwarts with his friends and is surprised to see Draco there too. He must also raise Ted Lupin, but being alone and inexperienced, he seeks help.
1. After the battle

**After the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry raises Teddy Lupin as his own and return to school to try and achieve enough N.E.W.T.s to become anAurorr. Ginny has left him, saying she was too young to worry about raising children.**

The school had been rebuilt over the summer, and Harry hardly recognised the place where he had defeated Voldemort only a few months before. All the rubble had been cleared, the statues and walls rebuilt and polished, and all of the old paintings were back in their place, along with new ones to replace those that couldn't be repared. He returned as a seventh year, a year behind since he had left school the year before, along with Hermione and Ron, who stared, dumbstruck at the reparations that had been made. He would be in the same year as Ginny, in all the same classes...

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Draco Malfoy's sleek, almost white hair. He had heard that Draco would be repassing his last year, as he hadn't gotten enough N.E.W.T.s the previous year, but only as he saw him approach the castle did he believe it. He watched as his old enemy mounted the stairs and stared, gobsmacked, at the castle. Realising how close he was to the trio, Draco suddenly hung his head and rushed inside to get away from them. Harry, Ron and Hermione slowly followed, taking in all they could about the castle they had almost died in.

As they reached their commonroom, they were glad to see tat nothing had changed : the battle hadn't made it's way to the top of the tower. They entered their dorm room to find their baggage already there, as always, along with two other sets of suitcases next to the two other beds, that unknown Giffindors would occupy.

 _I could have been sharing a room with Colin Creevey_ , Harry thought, before catching himself. He could never get the dead out of his mind. Those who had given their lives for the war : his parents, Sirius, Colin, Fred, Tonks and Lupin... these names haunted his dreams every night, he refused to give in while he was conscious. Tonks and Lupin had left behind them a baby, now 8 months old, and as his godfather, it was Harry's job to look after little Ted Lupin.

As he looked at his bed, Harry noticed a note, laying on the pillow. He picked it up and read :

 _Come to my office so we may discuss how you will handle your_

 _duties as student and parent. -Minerva Mcgonagall_

He reached the new headmistress' office within a few minutes, and found it completely redecorated, except from the paintings of previous headmasters and the Sorting hat, which had resumed it's place on one of the shelves. Professor Mcgonagall was sitting behind her desk, writing letters as an impatient owl nipped at her fingers. Once she had finished, she sent the bird away, sighed and, adressed Harry :

"Hello Harry, it's good to see you again. How was your summer?"

"Terrible." He answered, causing the headmistress to purse her lips in amused despair.

"Yes, I imagine. I've asked you here because you are acting as parent to Ted Lupin and I wanted to know if you had a plan on where he would go while you were here."

"Well for now he's with Mrs Weasley, but I was hoping you'd let him stay here." Harry answered, slightly embarrassed.

"And who would watch him while you were in class?"

"Well I was hoping a few people would help... Madam Pomfrey and Hagrid, and I could pay some younger students to babysit when they're not in class..."

"No I'm sorry. Madam Pomfrey and Hagrid have lessons to teach and even when they're not in class, all students will have too much homework to spend their free hours babysitting. I think Molly should keep him, and you could see him during the holidays."

"No I... I can't... I need him... it helps with the memories... I need to see him every day." Fumbled Harry.

Professor Mcgonagall thought for a moment before proposing : "What if I were to give you access to the Floo network, and said you could visit Ted anytime as long as you attend your classes and do all your homework? Would that be enough?"

"Yes that's perfect." Harry smiled. "Thank you, professor." He was just about to leave when a thought came into mind. "Miss, can he come here during the holidays? Mrs Weasley's house is full and I don't want to bother her. Plus, I'm sure everyone here will love him, including you, and it won't collide with work."

Minerva smiled and nodded, trying not to chuckle as Harry Potter left her office, perfect image of his father and godfather.

* * *

The Christmas holidays had arrived and Harry was waiting in Professor Mcgonagall's office for Mrs Weasley to drop Ted off. He would spend the entire holidays alone with the child, since Ron and Hermione had gone to spend them with their families. Much had happened since September : he had grown slightly distant from his friends, since they spent so much time alone doing god knows what, he had become friends with the two Griffindors that shared a room with him and Ron, called Douglas and Reggie, he and Dudley were on good terms, as Dudley had left the family home and started to become a responsible young man who had no aversion for magic, and they frequently exchanged owls. But the strangest change was that he and Draco were no longer enemies. Sure, they weren't what you'd call friends, but they were friendly.

Finally, the fire roared and Mrs Weasley appeared, holding the baby in her arms. She greeted Harry and the headmistress warmly, though not as warmly a she used to. The death of one of her sons had left her scarred, and she was very rarely happy. In fact, she only left her bed in the morning to care for Teddy, who had rapidly started to see her as his mother.

"Hello, hello." She cheered, handing over the baby wrapped in blankets along with a bag full of supplies. "I've packed everything you need : nappies, bottles, powdered milk, a few toys, and what-not. They'll provide you with mushed fruits and things in the kitchens probably." Harry nodded and took the baby, who, since he last saw him, had taken it upon himself to grow red hair. "I'm sorry I can't stay, I've got so much to do at home... I'll see you in two weeks, when I come and pick little Teddy up." And with that, she kissed the child goodbye and disappeared into the flames.

Harry and Minerva closed in on the child as he tried to grab their hair, swooning and speaking baby-talk. After a few minutes, a scar like Harry's appeared on the baby's forehead and they both laughed.

A few hours later, Harry was in the Great Hall, holding Ted on is lap and trying to get him to eat, but the child only cried. He was making such a fuss, Harry didn't know what to do to make him stop. The few people that were in the hall who had been swooning over the baby a few minutes ago were now leaving, scowling at the monstrosity that made so much noise. All but one. Draco approached Harry silently from behind, making him jump when he spoke :

"Need any help?"

"Oh Merlin, yes please!"

Harry handed the child over to the reformed Death eater and watched as he rocked the child.

"Has he eaten?"

"Yes a few hours ago, but he won't eat now."

"Did you burp him?"

"What? You have to burp them?" said Harry incredulously, causing an amused smile to appear on Draco's face.

"Yes, they can't do it by themselves." He then proceeded to rub the child's back and sure enough, after a few seconds, Ted let out a huge belch worthy of Hagrid and immediately stopped crying. Instead, the boy's hair became pale blond, almost white, and his eyes became the lightest blue, causing Draco to cry out in shock.

"Hey he likes you!"

"Of course he does, I'm the only one able to care for a child in this godforsaken place." Draco sniffed, making Harry scoff.

They then went up to Harry's room at the top of Griffindor tower and begun playing with the now crimson haired child.

"This is a nice place you've got here." Said Draco, looking around. "Not too fond of the colours though." Again, Harry scoffed.

"How come you're here at Christmas?" Harry finally asked.

"I uh, I can't really stay at the Manor anymore... I can't bear it." Malfoy responded, head down.

"I get it, it is a gloomy place. Why don't your family just go away for a while?"

"It's not the place, it's the people... my parents more specifically."

"Why?" asked Harry, frowning.

"Because of what happened... it's their fault I was drawn into all of it. Of course, I could have refused and all, but originally, it's their fault."

They stayed silent for a while, watching Ted crawl around and grab random objects, before Harry answered, slowly and carefully.

"It was originally their fault, but I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for your mother. This little boy wouldn't have any family at all. She lied straight to Voldemort's face and said I was dead, because she knew that was the only way she was going to find you. See the problem with Voldemort, why he was so weak, was that he wasn't just cruel to his enemies, but also to his allies. He drove your parents away, he drove your parents to abandon him. During the last fight I saw them, you know." Draco was now staring at Harry with wide eyes, taking in all he said, but still with an air of shame. "They ran straight past everyone and looked for you. Sure they didn't fight with us, but they didn't fight against us, and given the situation, I was fine with it." he finished.

Again, silence. Only the toddler made gurgling sounds.

"Thank you." Draco said finally, wiping a tear fro his eye. "Hey, what's that?" he asked, pointing at an old radio post.

"It plays music for Muggles. Here, look." Harry turned it on and music came out.

He went to pick up Ted and began swaying, and before long he was smiling and laughing like he hadn't in over a year, while Draco just stared. But even he joined in, and all three danced to Abba and Boy George, laughing hysterically.

* * *

In the time between Christmas and Easter, Harry and Draco had become great friends. He joined Harry when he was with Ron and Hermione, they sometimes ate together on weekends, and occasionally he would accompany Harry to see Ted at the Burrow, much to Mrs Weasley's annoyance.

Indeed, when Easter came, they were so close that they spent most of their time together, and when baby Ted was dropped of, they were both present to swoon over him and comment on how mush he had grown, like a couple of parents. Ted, had indeed grown. Already a year old, he no longer drank powdered milk and had begun calling the boys "dada", which made Draco shed a few tears. He also seemed to have adopted bright blue as his permanent hair colour, refusing to change it even when Draco shook a green Slytherin flag in front of him when Harry wasn't looking.

Together, they acted like parents. Together, they consoled each other when memories of the battle resurfaced. Together, they were whole. Best friends, sending each other patronuses in the middle of the night for no reason whatsoever except to remind each other of their presence. But Harry started noticing things he didn't before, like the colour of Draco's lips, or the sparkle in his eyes when he smiled. Most disturbing of all, he couldn't get the night they had danced to Abba out of his head. How Draco had nodded his head, shaking his hair to the beat, how they had laughed when he had started twerking (concept not yet invented, but still performed magnificently).

Harry noticed these things in the middle of conversations, or when he watched Draco play with Teddy, making him so confused he would come up with an excuse to leave the room. He also noticed how he was the only one that could make Draco smile, just by being in sight. He noticed how Draco would sometimes stare at it him with a shadow of a grin, as if looking into the void, when he fed Ted.

The Easter holidays were a happy fortnight, though with the preparation for the N.E.W.T.s, they had to take turns caring for Ted while the other worked, and they didn't have much free time to spend with each other. Over time, Harry got to know Draco better, as he opened himself up more and trusted, which he had never done before.

"Hey, how come you're so good with kids?" Harry asked one day.

"I babysat for my cousin for quite a while. I learned everything there."

"Good. I had started to think you were a natural and once the year was over, Ted would be impossible to handle alone. But since this stuff is learnable, I'm alright, aren't I?"

"It is. I hope your not planning on ditching me once the year's over, Potter."

The use of his last name made Harry grin, and they continued to care for the child in silence.

* * *

Finally. The year was over and Harry had successfully achieved all the N.E.W.T.s he needed to become an Auror. Once he had left school, he had gone back to Gimmauld Place, to find Kreacher waiting and the house spotless. The elf shone with proud when Harry congratulated him on the great work, and worked willingly and with great pleasure to make his master happy. After a week or so of getting used to the house and redecorating one of the bedrooms, Harry took on Ted full time. He trusted Kreacher to care for the child while he was at Auror training, and was not displeased to see that when he came home, Ted's ears had become longer and more elf-like, obviously showing his fondness for the elf.

The first time Draco came to visit was in August, as Harry, discovering the meaning of the feelings that had crept up during Easter, had tried to put as much distance as them as possible, ashamed and afraid that Draco would find out.

"Hello, sir!" he exclaimed as he opened the door. "May I take your coat? And would sir mind taking his shoes off?"

Draco treated Kreacher like he would another human being, which simply made Harry go even crazier as he saw how much his old nemesis had grown. He remembered Dobby, the Malfoys' old house elf, who was constantly beaten and humiliated, and tears welled up. Draco Malfoy spent a lot of time at Grimmauld Place from then on because though Harry wanted to move on, he realised how much he needed Draco's presence. Again, they cared for Ted together, and occasionally had sleepovers where Harry blushed all night. Before long, they decided to become roommates, and another bedroom was redecorated, not by the elf, but by the men, who had paint fights and would chase each other round the house wielding brushes and giggling madly.

One day, Harry decided to act like the Griffindor he was supposed to be. He knocked and entered Draco's room and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry." He said. When Draco looked puzzled, he continued : "I haven't been completely honest with you. I... I let you think I was your friend, which I am! But I also... hope for more. I know it's ridiculous and I don't want to ruin our friendship. I don't expect anything from you, I know you don't... feel the same, but I thought you had a right to know, so you could decide what you wanted to do next. I wouldn't blame you if you just walked out now..."

He lowered his head in shame as Draco just stared, mouth wide open. Then, he stood up suddenly, closed the space between them in a mere two strides, grasped Harry's face, and planted a long kiss on his lips. When they separated, it was Harry's turn to just stare, before he caught himself and kissed back, this time harder, more definate

And so, Harry and Draco lived out their future with their child. Happy, always.


	2. Teddy Lupin

**I decided to do this continuation of "Happy always" as a tribute to Teddy Lupin as I learned that he didn't have a page on Pottermore.**

 **Don't forget to leave reviews!**

* * *

 **10 years later :**

Teddy rushed through King's Cross behind Draco and with Harry's hand on his shoulder, squeezing when he felt his son tense up. The boy brushed a thread of blue hair aside and looked up at his godfather, who gave him a reassuring smile. Finally, after much pushing and being pushed, they arrived at the wall between lanes 9 and 10, an they stopped. Harry's had moved to the top of Teddy's back as Draco spoke :

"We go through here. Don't be scared, just walk straight at the wall, easy. Harry will go with you, and I'll be there after." He gave Ted a reassuring smile and pushed tem along. They started running towards the wall and he closed his eyes just before impact. But just as his dads had promised, there was none.

He opened his eyes to see hundreds of parents and children, all dressed in wizard robes, some crying, others laughing. The crowd parted and Teddy gasped as a crimson steam engine came into view, the words "Hogwarts Express" printed on the side. He had never seen such an assembly of wizards and witches, and couldn't wait to get onto the train that would lead him to his new school.

Harry and Ted were shortly followed by Draco, and they advanced towards the train.

"Do you know any of these people?" Ted said as he noticed people staring at them.

"No, all our friends' children will be going to Hogwarts in a few years." Responded Harry.

"They're all staring because dear Harry is famous for defeating the Dark Lord."

"Shut up, Malfoy."

Both Teddy and Draco smirked at this. They said their goodbyes and Draco wiped a tear from his eye.

"Are you crying, Draco?"

"Shut up, Potter."

Teddy made his way to the train and waved goodbye before disappearing inside. He then entered the nearest chamber, smiling awkwardly to it's occupants, and the train set off.

"Hi," he said. "I'm Ted Lupin, but you can call me Teddy."

"Harold Jamesson, muggle-born." Said the blond nearest to the window. "Nice hair."

Ted smirked. "Thanks. So what's it like finding out you're a wizard?"

"I thought I was hallucinating, serously. I showed the letter to my parents and they thought it was some kind of joke. Until Professor Mcgonagall came round."

"You've met Minerva?" Ted asked, attracting surprised glances that he was on first name basis with the headmistress.

"Uh yeah. How do you know her?"

"She's friends with my dads, they were her students."

"Dads?"

"Yeah, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. They're not really my dads, my parents are dead, Harry's my godfather."

"Oh my god, you live with Harry Potter?" marvelled a red-head by the door. Ted simply nodded.

"Excuse me, but are your parents Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks, werewolf and metamorphmagus, heroes of the Battle of Hogwarts?" piped a rather small and shy looking girl.

"Yes. And call me Teddy."

"Bella." The girl mumbled, blushing. Ted shoved his hand forward and she shook it slowly, holding him only by the fingertips.

They spent the rest of the trip getting to know one another, laughing and stuffing themselves with sweets that they bought collectively, Harold screaming with delight at every new one. The train stopped as the Sun went down and they all exited the train, already wearing their robes.

"Firs' years, over 'ere! Firs' years!" shouted Hagrid.

"Jesus!" said Harold, shrinking away from the giant.

"It's alright, he's a puppy really."

"You know him, too?"

"Sure! That's Hagrid."

"Teddy!" boomed the giant as they got close. "Good ter see yer, good ter see yer! These yer new friends?"

"Yep. This is Harold, Bella and Richie." heThe said gesturing to each one. Out of the lot, it was surprisingly Bella who was boldest, by managing a small wave when the others only smiled weakly.

Hagrid led them to the edge of the lake, where they got their first glimpse of the castle. Harold dropped his sweets and even Teddy stopped to stare. They then entered the boats and crossed the lake, walked up the hill and entered a small room, where a man was waiting.

"Neville!" cried Teddy and ran to hug him.

Once all the first years were in the room, Neville spoke : "Evening, everyone. I'm Professor Longbottom, I teach Herbology. I'm also the head of Hufflepuff House. In a minute, we will enter the Great Hall, whre the other students are waiting. You'll all be called up one by one to be sorted into your Houses. Any questions? In that case follow me."

The Great Hall carried it's name well. Ted wasn't sure he had ever seen a room this big. Chandeliers were dangling from everywhere, and above them was a perfect replica of the clear night sky. They walked quickly towards the front of the room, mouths open as their eyes wondered around. Teddy attracted the most looks because of his bright blue hair, but still he didn't change it, fearing it would only attract more curious looks. They pooled around Professor Longbottom, who was holding a shriveled old hat that he placed on a stool.

The hat suddenly started singing, depicting all of the Houses' qualities and the stories of their founders. Once it had finished, Neville cleared his throat.

"When I call out your name, you will come and sit on the stool and I'll place the hat on your head. Lucy Teeker!"

A tall blondish girl skipped to the front and after a few moments, the hat shouted :

"Slytherin!"

"Julie Baker!", "Gryffindor!"

"Samuel Elmann!", "Gryffindor!"

"Harold Jamesson!", "Hufflepuff!"

"Bella Nightins", "Ravenclaw!"

"Ted Lupin!"

Ted walked up the few stairs, heart beating fast. He sat on the stool and the hat had hardly touched him when it bellowed : "Hufflepuff!" Cheers erupted from the Hufflepuff table and, no longer caring about attracting attention, his hair became black with a bright yellow front. The table screamed louder and others exclaimed "Woah!" while he went to join Harold.

When the sorting ceremony was over, Headmistress Mcgonagall made a speech about how welcome everyone was and that the forest was out of bounds. Then, plates filled with food appeared on the tables and the students swarmed towards them. Once he had eaten his full, the prefects rose and guided everyone towards their quarters. Ted followed the Hufflepuff prefects, smiling broadly as he crossed the threshold into his new life.


End file.
